Island



(No Model.)

B. P. HOLLY. WATER RETURN SYSTEM FOR STEAM GENERATORS.

No. 587,291. Patented July 27, 1897.

W'LENE'55e5. INVENTDR- 35,3 2% z gi w/ww l a: norms PETERS 00., PnuroumowAsHmurrm, n.,c,

UNITED STATES EDGAR P. HOLLY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND,

FFlCEa PATENT ASSIGNOR TO THE BROWVN & SHARPE MANUFACTURlNG COMPANY, OFSAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,291, datedd'uly 27,1897.

Application filed July 3, 1893. Renewed December 26, 1396. Serial No.617,096. (No model-) trainment or condensation may be returned from apoint below the water-level in the generator back into the generator andagainst the pressure therein without the employment of a pump'or similardevice. In said appli-- cation means are shown and described for thusreturning the water of condensation from a single steam-using device.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for thusreturning the water of entrainment or condensation from a series ofsteam-using devices, and incidentally to improve the circulation throughsaid devices. Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevationshowing'the invention applied for returning the water of entrainment andcondensation from a series of steam-radiators for heating purposes, andFig. 2 is an end View of the discharging-head of the receiver.

A represents a steam-generator, which may be of any desired form ortype, from the steam-dome of which extends the steam-pipe a, from whichextend the branch pipes to to supply steam to the series of radiators B,three of which are shown in the drawings as located upon the floor abovethe generator and two of which are shown as located on the floor belowand below the water-level in the generator.

h are the exhaust-pipes from the radiators, the exhaust-pipes from theradiators upon the upper floor leading into the pipe I) and theexhaust-pipes from the radiators upon the lower floor leading into thepipe b Both of the pipes b 19 lead into the pipe b through which pipe 11the exhaust from all the radiators is delivered into the common receiverC. b are the usual valves for controlling the flow of steam through theradiators. An equalizing-pipe c connects one end of the exhaust-pipe bwith one of the branch steampipes a, and a similar equalizing-pipe cconnects one end of the exhaust-pipe b with another of the branchsteam-pipes a, each of said equalizing-pipes being provided with acontrolling -Valve 0 Another equalizingpipe 0 connects the steam-pipe awith the receiver C, all as shown in Fig. 1.

The receiver C may be of any suitable shape, but is preferablyconstructed in the form of a cylinder with detachable heads. Theexhaust-pipe b enters the receiver at one end and preferably near thetop thereof. The head 0 at the other or discharging end of the receiveris provided with a series of holes or discharge-orifices 0 preferablyarranged in a central vertical line and forming in effect an elongatedvertically-arranged opening, as shown at Fig. 2. Instead of such aseries of separate discharge-orifices a single orifice in the form of anarrow elongated slot may be employed, arranged in the same position inthehead. To the outside of the head 0 is secured a neck 0 the mouth ofwhich is arranged to cover the orifices c in the-head and so that thesteam and water discharged through said orifices will be delivered intosaid neck. Communicating with the opposite end of said neck and leadingupward therefrom is a pipe 01, which may be termed a riser, said riserbeing provided with acontrolling-valve d and terminating, preferably, inthe T-piece d Surrounding the riser cl is a pipe 6 of considerablylarger diameter, which may betermed a stand-pipe. This stand-pipe eisclosed at top and bottom, and is preferably provided at the top with anautomatic air-vent a. Leading from the bottom of the stand-pipee is areturn-pipe f, which extends to and enters the generator. The returnpipef is provided with a check-valve f, preferably located'at or near thegenerator, and, if desired, said return-pipe may also be provided with ahand-valve f as shown. A short branch pipe g, communicating with thereturn-pipe f and provided with a controlling-valve g, is alsopreferably employed for permitting the escape of air from the sys-' temin starting the apparatus.

The operation of the parts above described the steampressure in the isas follows: As the mingled steam and water from the series of radiatorsB enters the receiver 0 through the pipe 11 the water falls andaccumulates in the bottom of the re ceiver, establishing a water-leveltherein, which water-level ordinarily rises to about the position shownin the drawings, but never to so great a height as to close all of thedischarge-orifices 0 By the employment of the equalizing-pipes cc 0 theinitial steam-pressure is secured in the upper portion of the receiverand above the water-level therein. By means of this steam-pressure thewater is forced out of the lower orifices 0 while the steam itself flowsout of the upper orifices, and flowing through the neck a and' into theriser takes up the water which has been discharged into the neckandcarries it in the form of detached particles intermingled with the steamup into and through the riser cl, the mingled water and steam issuingfrom the open ends of the T-piece CF. The particles of water thuscarried up with the steam as they issue from the ends of the T-piecewill fall and accumulate in the stand-pipe e, while the steam will flowupward into the upper end of the stand-pipe, which extends for aconsiderable distance above the end of the riser (Z, where it will becondensed, this extension of the stand-pipe constituting acondensingchamber. This condensation which takes place in the upper endof the stand-pipe serves the double purpose of inducing and maintainingthe necessary through the riser and also of adding to the column ofwater in the lower end of the standpipe. The column of water as it risesin the stand-pipe will sooner or later reach a height where the headproduced thereby, added to stand-pipe acting upon the top of the watercolumn, will cause the pressure upon the check-valve f to becomeequalized. If there were no loss of pressure in the system, the pressureupon the check-valve would be equalized when the water column in thestand-pipe reached the level of the water-line in the generator,(indicated by the line a: in the drawings,) but as there is necessarilyin practice a certain loss of pressure in the system due totransmission, radiation, 850., the pressure upon the checkvalve is notin fact equalized-until the water column in the stand-pipe has risen toa sulficieut height above the water-level in the generator tocounterbalance such loss of pressure. \Vhen the column has been raisedto a sufticientheight to equalize the pressure upon the check-valve,then any further rise of the column will tend to open the check-valve,until finally as the column continues to rise the requisite head isobtained to open the check-valve and cause the water to be forcedthrough the return-pipe and into the generator against the pressuretherein. The line 7 in the drawings indicates the effective operatingheight of the column of water in the stand-pipe.

circulation Neither of the equalizing-pipes above referred to arenecessary for the operation of the apparatus, and any one or all of themmay, if desired, be omitted. Their is attended with importantadvantages. Thus by the employment of such equalizing-pipes a moreeffective steam-pressure is secured for raising the water in detachedparticles through the riser, whereby the Water is more certain to becarried up in the necessar Y condition of detachedparticles and theaccumulation of a column of water in the riseris prevented, resulting ina better and more certain circulation. Again, by the employment of theequalizing-pipes a greater steam-pressure upon the top of the watercolumn in the stand-pipe is secured, and consequently such column ofwater does not require to be raised to so great a height to secure thenecessary head. Thus the column of water in the standpipe will be raisedto an effective feeding head more quickly than would otherwise be thecase, and the stand-pipe itself does not require to be of so great aheight.

If the equalizing-pipes were omitted with the necessarily attendant lossof steam-pressure upon the water column, said column would require to beraised to a greater height to secure the additional head necessary tocounterbalance such loss of pressure. Again, by the use of one or moreof the equalizingpipes the water of entrainment and condensation will betaken from the steam-pipe, even when all the radiators are shut off. Itwill be understood that one or more of the equalizing-pipes may beemployed without using the others. Thus the equalizing-pipe 0 might beomitted and the pipes c and c be employed, or, on the other hand, thepipes c and 0 might be omitted and the pipe c only employed; or, infact, stated generally,anyone of said equalizing-pipes may be employedWithout the others, or, as above stated, all of said pipes may beomitted. So, on the other hand, still other equalizing-pipes might beemployed, if desired, in addition to those shown in the drawings, theobject of such equalizing-pipes being simply 'to keep up the pressure inthe system and to secure a sufficient and effective pressure in thereceiver to insure the water being taken up in detached particlesintermingled with the steam, and thus facilitate the circulation andalso to enable the water column and the stand-pipe to be of less heightthan would be necessary if no such equalizing-pipes were employed. Theuse of such equalizing-pipes and the number thereof Will depend a gooddeal upon the character and extent of each particular system. If thesystem be a large one, embodying a large number of radiators andextending to great distances from the generator, the employment of oneor more equalizing-pipes is more desirable and advantageous than in thecase of a smaller and more compact system. So also it is not necessaryfor the operation of the apparatus above described that thedischargeuse, however,

TCO

IIO

. cles intermingled with the steam would be interfered with. In a largesystem including a large number of radiators there is liable to be aconsiderable variation in the position of the water-line in thereceiver, and in such a system the employment of a discharge orifice ororifices, such as described, is of great advantage to guard against thedanger of sealing up the discharge-opening by the accumulated water andthe resulting interference with the proper action of the apparatus andthe maintenance of the desired circulation.

By the employment of a series of dischargeorifices arranged one abovethe other in a-vertical line or, what amounts to the same thing, by theemployment of a narrow elongated vertical slot variations in theposition of the water-line in the receiver will have no prej udicialeffect, as there will always be an opening above the water-line throughwhich the steam can escape and operate to take up the water issuing fromthe lower orifices or the lower portion of the slot and carry it indetached particles intermingled with the steam, up into and through theriser. It is desirable that the total area of the discharge opening oropenings from the receiver should be equal to the area of the riser.

\Vhile I have shown an apparatus in which the communication between theriser and receiver is by means of an elongated verticallyarrangedopening formed in a part of the receiver, it will be nnderstoodthat theexact form of this opening and its location in any particular part ofthe apparatus are immaterial, it being only necessary for the properaction of the apparatus that the communication between the riser andreceiver shall be of such a character that the steam as it is caused toflow through the riser shall carry the water with it. densing-chamber asthe means for inducing the flow of steam through the riser; but anyother means for effecting this result may be substituted for suchcondensing chamber without departing from my invention.

WVith the combination and arrangement of parts above described, in whichthe returnpipe may be located in any desired position and below thegenerator oreven under-ground, if desired, the generator may be in onebuilding and the radiators in another, and so, also, anumber of separatebuildings may be heated from one and the same generator.

WVhile it is not necessary that the exhaust from those radiators of asystem which are cated below and adapted to receive I have also shown acona located asufficient distance above the generator should be taken toa receiver located below the generator and the water of condensation bethence raised to be returned into the generator, as from such generatorsthe Water might be returned by gravity, it is advantageous to connectall the radiators in the system, even including those which are thuselevated, with a common receiver and to return the water to thegenerator'in the manner described, and for the reason that thereby thecirculation through the radiators is facilitated and increased and thecirculation through all the radiators rendered uniform.

It will be understood that the apparatus above described is not limitedto use in connection with a series of radiators or in a system ofsteam-heating, as the same may be likewise employed with the sameresulting advantages inany system of steam distribution where it isdesired to collect the water of entrainment or condensation from anumber of pipes or steam-using devices and return it to the generator. I

It will be further understood that the broad feature of the presentinvention is not dependent upon the employment of the particularconstruction of apparatus shown and described for returning the water ofcondensation from the receiver to the generator, but instead consists ina water-return system in which, in connection with a series ofsteampipes or steam-using devices, a receiver 10- the water ofcondensation from all of said devices is employed, from which receiverthe water is returned to the generator by means of a returnpassage andacondensing-chamber in communication therewith. Consequently while .Iprefer to make use of the construction and arrangement of parts hereindescribed for the return of the water from the receiver to the generatorthis is not necessary for the employment of the broad feature of myinvention, but instead any other suitable construction and arrangementof return-passage and condensing-chamber may be employed-as, forinstance, a construction in which the condensing-chamber is located inand forms a part of the return-passage instead of being located outsideof or at one side of said return-passage.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,'is

1. The combination,withasteam-generator and a steam-pipe leadingtherefrom, of a series of branch pipes leading from said steampipe, areceiver in communication with all of said branch pipes to receive thewater of entrainment or condensation therefrom, a riser communicatingwith said receiver and terminating in an open end, a stand-pipecommunicating with said riser, a condensing-chamber communicating withsaid stand-pipe, and a return-pipe leading from said stand-pipe to saidgenerator and provided with a checkvalve, substantially as described.

chamber communicating 2. The combination,with a steam-generator and aseries of radiators or other steam-using devices, of a steam-pipeleading from said generator to supply steam to said steam-using devices,an exhaust-pipe to receive the exhaust from said steam-using devices, areceiver in communication with said exhaustpipe, a riser communicatingwith said receiver and terminating in an open end, a stand-pipecommunicating with said riser, a condensingchamber communicating withsaid stand-pipe, and a return-pipe leading from said standpipe to saidgenerator and provided with a check-valve, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a steam-generator and aseries of steam-usingdevices,of a steampipe leading from said generator to supply steam tosaid steam-using devices,an exhaustpipe to receive the exhaust from saidsteamusing devices, an equalizing-pipe connecting said steam and exhaustpipes, a receiver in communication with said eXhaust-pipe,a risercommunicating with said receiver and terminating in an open end, astand-pipe communicating with said riser, a condensing-cham bercommunicating with the upper end of said stand-pipe, and a return-pipeleading from said stand-pipe to said generator and provided with acheck-valve, substantially as described.

4. Thecombinatio11,withasteam-generator and a series of steam-usingdevices, of a steampipe leading from said generator to supply steam tosaid steam-usin g devices, an exhaustpipe to receive the exhaust fromsaid steamusing devices, a receiver .in communication with saidexhaust-pipe and adapted to receive the Water of condensation from allof said steam-using devices, an equalizing-pipe connecting saidsteam-pipe with said receiver, a riser communicating with said receiverand terminating in an open end, a stand-pipe communicating with saidriser, a condensing- With the upper end of said stand-pipe, and areturn-pipe leading from said stand-pipe to said generator and providedwith a check-valve, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a generator and series of steam-using devices,of a steam-pipe leading from said generator to supply steam to saidsteam-using devices, a receiver adapted to receive the water ofcondensation from said steam-using devices, and an equalizingpipeconnecting said receiver with said steampipe, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination of a receiver adapted to receive the water ofcondensation from a series of steam-using devices, a riser leading fromsaid receiver and terminating in an open end, a stand-pipe communicatingwith said riser, and a condensing-chamber in communication with saidstand-pipe, whereby the water of condensation from all of saidsteamusing devices will be first collected in said receiver, and willthen be lifted up out of said receiver and into and through said riser,and accumulated in said stand-pipe to form a Water column therein,substantially as described.

7. A steam and water receiver adapted to be connected to asteam-distributing system and provided at one end with an elongatedvertically arranged discharge outlet, and with a neck arranged to coversaid dischargeoutlet, said neck being provided with an opening for thepassage of steam and water therefrom, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with a generator and a series of steam-usingdevices, of a steampipe leading from said generator to supply steam toall of said steam-usin g devices, a receiver located below and adaptedto receive the water of condensation from all of said steam-usin gdevices, a return-passage leading from said receiver to saidgenerator-and embodyin g a riser, and a condensing-chamber located abovethe Water-line of the generator and in communication With saidreturn-riser, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with a generator and -a series of steam-usingdevices, of a steampipe leading from said generator to supply steam toall of said steam-using devices, a receiver located below and adapted toreceive the water of condensation from all of said steam-using devices,a return-passage leading from said receiver to said generator andembodying a riser, and means for inducing a flow of steam through theriser, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with a generator and a series of steam-usingdevices, of a steampipe leading from said generator to supply steam toall of said steam-using devices, a receiver located below and adapted toreceive the water of condensation from all of said steam-using devices,a return-passage leading from said receiver to said generator andembodying a riser, said riser communicating with the receiver through anelongated vertically-arranged opening, and means for inducin g a flow ofsteam through the riser, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with a steam-generator and a steam-pipe leadingtherefrom, of a series of branch pipes leading from said steampipe, areceiver in communication with all of said branch pipes to receive theWater of entrainment or condensation therefrom, a riser communicatingwith said receiver and terminating in an open end, a stand-pipe com-'municating with said, riser, a return-pipe leading from said stand-pipeto said generator, ai-d means for inducing a flow of steam through theriser, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with a steam-generator and a steam-pipe leadingtherefrom, of a series of branch pipes leading from said steampipe, areceiver communicating with all said branch pipes to receive the Waterof condensation or entrainment therefrom, a riser terminating in an openend and communieating with saidreceiver through an elongatedvertically-arranged opening, a standpipe communicating with said riser,a returnpipe leading from said stand-pipe to said generator, and meansfor inducing a flow of steam through said riser, substantially asdescribed.

14. The combination, with a steam-generator and a series of steam-pipescommunicating therewith, of a receiver in communication with all of saidsteam-pipes to receive the Water of entrainment or condensationtherefrom, a riser terminating in an open end and communicating With thereceiver through an elongated vertically-arranged opening, a stand-pipecommunicating With said riser, a condensing-chamber communicating withsaid stand-pipe, and a return-pipe leading from said stand-pipe to saidgenerator, substantially as described.

15.The combination of a receiver, means for supplying steam to saidreceiver a riser leading, from said receiver and communicatin gtherewith through an elongated verticallyarranged opening, and means forinducing a flow of steam through the riser, whereby the water in thereceiver is carried up in the riser With the steam, substantially asdescribed.

16. The combination of a receiver, means for supplying steam to saidreceiver a riser leading from said receiver and communicating therewiththrough an elongated vertically-arranged opening, a condensing-chambercommunicating with said riser, whereby steam is caused to flow throughthe riser and carry the Water therewith, substantially as described.

EDGAR P. HOLLY.

